Victor
by L.C. Li
Summary: -Mei Ying/Cheng- When it came to Mei Ying, Cheng would fight. And he would win.
1. Duibuqi

**(A/N : Introducing Liang's character in this chapter. I adore that kid.)**

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**duibuqi  
**_mandarin : excuse me, sorry _

He walks into the cafeteria, looking for one face and one face only.

Hers.

But then he freezes in his spot, his disbelieving eyes fixated on her.

She is talking. With the other boy.

A familiar rush of anger wells up in his gut. He thought he had taught the boy a lesson; well, apparently, he was wrong.

Liang pokes him in the ribs. "Don't," he whispers.

Cheng starts. "What're you talking about?" he demands.

"You know what I mean. Don't—"

But Cheng is already moving. He is moving faster than he thought he could; and before he knows it, his hand is reaching up and pushing the lunch tray into the other boy's face—

"—do that," Liang finishes in vain, his face pallid.

Sauce splatters all over the boy's orange shirt. Cheng smirks again—until he sees the rage on Mei Ying's face.

He gets into trouble, but so does the new boy; and that was all that mattered.

"That probably wasn't the best way to apologize," Liang observes.

"Quiet," Cheng says, but doesn't mean it. It's his way of saying 'continue,' and Liang knows it.

"Just ignore him next time. He's not worth noticing." Liang pauses. "It's not like she_ fancies_ him or anything."

Cheng clenches his jaw. "Quiet," he says, and means it.

Liang quiets. Cheng's sauce-spotted chopsticks are starting to look more and more formidable.

The lunch bell rings. The two quietly stand up and make their way to their next class.

"Hold on," Liang says, dumping his tray on a rack. "I forgot something."

Cheng raises his eyebrows, but doesn't question him. "Don't be late."

"I won't," Liang promises, and scurries away.

Cheng sighs, shoulders his backpack, and wishes that he was at the kung fu studio kicking dummies instead of school attempting to apologize to overemotional girls.

Mei Ying wishes she could stay angry at Cheng, but she can't. He has just been her friend for too long.

She knows that his moodiness is a method of self-defense, and she wants to know what has been bothering him. No matter how much she tries to blame him, she knows that he wouldn't have bullied someone for no reason at all. No, he has a reason; and that reason had better be good, or she will never forgive him.

Of course, after walking out on him, she can't just go and ask him what's wrong. She still has some pride, after all.

So instead, she sends Liang. She trusts that Liang is crafty enough to ask questions that are subtle enough so Cheng wouldn't spot any suspicious activity, and Liang is the one that she trusts the most. If she were to place her life in anyone's hands, it would be Liang's.

She waits underneath a large flowering tree in the school quad, waiting for Liang's intelligence, when she sees Cheng. He is strutting down the cement path, laughing, joking with Qiao and Xi Wang and Liang, when he catches her eye. She is unable to tear her eyes away from his ebony-brown gaze, and he freezes in place; Xi Wang almost full on runs into him. After a few frozen moments of heavy silence, Cheng jerks his head and struts away. She watches him leave, not even noticing Liang's presence until he clears his throat.

She starts. "L-Liang! I'm sorry. I didn't notice you were here."

"So I see," Liang quips. "Can't keep your eyes off him?"

Mei Ying blushes as bright as the sun. "I—I'm just waiting for him to apologize!" she stammers.

"Mmhmm. Sure you are," Liang replies, amused at her reaction. "You're as red as a rose, by the way."

Mei Ying absentmindedly pats her cheeks. "I—I am? It's—I'm just—just angry."

"And I'm a cow."

"What if you are a cow?"

"You're calling your only source of information a cow?"

"No, no, not at all," Mei Ying laughs. "What do you have, Liang?"

A sly smile flicks across Liang's face. "Don't you think it's rather obvious, Mei Ying?" he asks primly, fiddling with his polo shirt collar.

Mei Ying only cocks her head in confusion.

Liang laughs. "Should I leave you to figure it out!"

Mei Ying stares in horror. "Oh, no, no, Liang!" she cries. "You have to tell me! You can't do that to me!"

"Aww. Fine then." Liang pulls a face and leans closer. "He fancies you."

Mei Ying starts. "He—he what?"

"He. Fancies. You."

Mei Ying shakes her head so fast that she swears she can hear her brain clattering inside her skull. "He loathes me," she snickers. "I think you're overlooking a few of his actions, Liang."

Liang snickers back. "I'm his best friend, Mei Ying. I know what to look for," he replied sagely.

"But we're twelve!"

"He's near thirteen."

"So? We're too young!"

"Approaching the years where you fall madly in love." He gives a dramatic sigh and bats his eyelashes.

Mei Ying flicks his shoulder. "Stop that, Liang! That's disturbing!"

"I'm giving you valuable intelligence, woman! It's not my fault whether it's disturbing or not!"

"Your behavior is disturbing. Your information is perturbing."

"Aren't they synonyms?"

"Doesn't matter. Apparently even love and hate are synonyms in your book, if you think Cheng fancies me. What makes you think he doesn't hate me?"

Liang gives another dramatic sigh, as if about to explain something incredibly simple to a young child. "One: he only hated that American kid from the start because he was making the moves on you. Two: I've never seen him bully someone so harshly in such a short period of time. Three: he'd made a promise to you and wouldn't have broken it if the American kid hadn't disturbed him so much. Four: he can't stop looking at you."

"He always has such anger in his eyes!" Mei Ying protests. "He hates me!"

"But he still can't stop looking at you," Liang replies cheerfully. "Five: just a while ago, he was bullying the American kid again—"

"WHAT?" Mei Ying screeches.

"Quiet!" Liang says. "Just let me continue. Anyway, his main message to the American kid was 'Just say away from us. All of us.' I assumed he meant you, too, and that's the whole reason why he's beating up the poor American kid."

"Dre," Mei Ying adds. "His name is Dre."

"Tray? That's an odd name. Just don't let Cheng hear that, or he's gonna have more reason to tease—"

"Dre, not tray!" Mei Ying emphasizes.

Liang waves a hand in the air. "Same difference. Oh! I have an idea. Now that you know the reason behind his rather violent actions (and it is a rather good reason, if I do say so myself), why don't we roleplay?"

"Roleplay?" Mei Ying murmurs, shaping the foreign word around her mouth.

"Basically, I pretend to be Cheng and you pretend to be yourself—scratch that, just be yourself—and you apologize to me. Ready?"

"But—"

"No buts! Ready? Go!" Liang shoves his hands deep into his pockets and plasters an incredibly surly look on his face.

Mei Ying nearly falls over in laughter.

"Okay, okay, I won't get an acting award any time soon, but you have to admit, that was a pretty passable imitation, wasn't it?" Liang flashes her a cheery smile.

"Liang," she chokes, "if you go looking like that, I'll never be able to apologize."

"Right. Sorry." Liang clears his throat and neutralizes the expression on his face, assuming a flat, bored countenance.

"Much better."

"Ready? Go!"

Mei Ying clears her throat. "Um... duibuqi, Cheng... um... HOLD ON!" She bolts upright. "Liang! You sneaky little—"

"What?" Liang asks innocently. Too innocently.

"Are you trying to get me to apologize for something I never did? Isn't Cheng supposed to apologize?"

"I swear I didn't try!" Liang cries, throwing his hands up in the air. "I just got sidetracked! Sidetracked, I tell you! Okay, roleplay reverse. I'm apologizing to you. Ready? G—"

"Duibuqi."

Mei Ying once again nearly falls out of her chair, but this time, in shock. Cheng is standing right behind them.

"Ack! Cheng!" Liang taps his fists together nervously. "You—you're here—how long have you been here?"

But Cheng doesn't respond. He's only staring at Mei Ying.

"I can't promise it won't happen again," he says quietly, "but I can promise that I'll always have a good reason." And without another word, he turns and wheels back into the school building.

Silence prevails.

Liang breaks it. "You have to admit, he's a master when it comes to the stealth department."


	2. Gege

**gege  
**_mandarin : older brother _

She was five when she called him her older brother.

She can still see the scene in her mind. She was racing through the crowded alleyway, searching fruitlessly for her parents, but saw nothing. She was frantic, with perspiring palms and a tangled mess of black hair and her berry mouth opened wide and screaming Chinese in such a high pitch that it was no longer understandable—but then _he_ came.

He was six at the time, and just as lost as she; but he was a _man_, and men do not cry in public or run about screaming their heads off. Men would face the problem head on, think of ways to destroy it, bury it in the dust. And so his manly mind decided to _walk very fast_ (not run) and _call out_ (not scream) for a familiar face, _any_ familiar face. And that was when he crashed right into her.

"_Gege,_" she sobbed, clutching at his shirt. "_Gege_."

He was quick to shove her away, dusting off his white blouse as if he had just been contaminated with the worst sort of virus (which, in his opinion, was the deadly virus of Girl). "Geroff me!" he mumbled. "I'm not your older brother!"

But she only clung to him with renewed fervor. "_Gege_! Don't leave me!" she begged.

He tried to shrug her off, but something stopped him. To this day, he thinks that it's because he would've gotten in trouble if he had just abandoned her. The small part of his mind thinks otherwise, telling him that he _might've_ been the _slightest_ fond of her. But he'll never admit that; not even now, when he's reminiscing.

"Shush," he scolded her. "We have to find our parents. C'mon." But she wouldn't let go of him.

He tried to shake her off. "C'mon, you little sissy girl!" he cried fearfully. "Geroff me already!"

She wouldn't raise her head. "Wh-what if they never come?"

"Boo-hoo," he muttered, tugging her down the dusty street.

"Cheng!"

Both their heads shot up, looking straight at a woman who was scurrying toward them, her arms outstretched.

"Mother," he breathed. "Mother!"

And that was when their parents had found them. But whenever he thought back to that day, he never remembered it as the first time he had gotten lost. He never remembered it as the first time he had been by himself.

Cheng remembered it as the first time that Mei Ying had called him her older brother.

But who was she to know that? Right now she was furious with him—no, _beyond_ furious. Her face is red with anger, her hands are clenched into fists, and she can only glare at him with muscles sore with the effort of restraining herself. He only smirks that obnoxious smirk, determined not to show his guilt and dejection and loneliness.

"How could you!" she shrieks. "You _promised _me! You _promised_ that you wouldn't bully anyone for a _year_! He was my _friend_!"

"He was_ touching your hair_!" he yells back with equal fervor.

"_I_ was touching _his_ hair!" she corrects him, her voice just shy of a hundred decibels. "He never forced me to do _anything_!" Tears well in her eyes. "How could you burst in like that? How could you throw my sheet music away like—like it was _trash_? How could you kick him around? How could you make your friends hold me back like that? How could you just _ignore_ me?"

"I didn't—"

"I HATE YOU!" She feels a strong attraction between her fist and his face. "Leave me alone!"

In his shock, he is only able to say one thing. "What about me being your _gege_?"

"You were never my _gege_!" she screams. "You'll never be my _gege_!" And away she runs, her shoes clattering down the stoney path from his house.

But he isn't upset. In fact, he feels a little pleased, and plucks up the courage to whisper into the air.

"I don't want to be your _gege_. I want to be more."

But even as he smiles, he knows he owes her an apology. Maybe he'll catch her at school tomorrow.

He only hopes she will never call him _gege_ again.


	3. Zai Jian

**(A/N: So. It's been a while, huh? I haven't given up on this story - I promise. Here's another chapter. Enjoy.)**

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**zai jian**  
_mandarin : goodbye_

He walks into the cafeteria, looking for one face and one face only.

Hers.

And amazingly, the American boy isn't with her. Only Liang.

But—what's this? Liang is leaning over, whispering things in her ear. And he—takes her hand?—and begins to stroke it.

Red instantly fills his vision. He stalks over and slaps at their hands. Liang's head bolts up.

"What are you doing?" Cheng growls.

Liang looks surprised. "I just asked her out," he says calmly, "and she accepted. She's my girlfriend now, Cheng. Am I not allowed to touch my girlfriend?"

Cheng doesn't hear anything past 'asked her out.' He turns to Mei Ying seriously, his gaze desperate._ Is it true?_

She looks up through her dark hair at him, her brown eyes completely serious.

How.

Dare.

He.

Cheng doesn't remember what happens next. He knows that Liang was instantly sent to the nearest hospital; he knows that he was suspended from school and in danger of being expelled; he knows that Mei Ying cried once or twice or three times; but the next day, when he wakes up, he can't remember exactly what he did to Liang.

(-_-)

_Flashback, half an hour earlier._

Mei Ying kicks fiercely at a pebble in front of her loafers, glaring at it throughout its whole journey as it lands once, twice, on a soft tuft of grass in the school quad.

_"I can't promise it won't happen again, but I can promise that I'll always have a good reason."_

That wasn't a proper answer. That wasn't a proper answer at all. Good reason? What good reason would there be for beating up Dre, whose only crime was making her happy? What good reason would there be for making her cry _again_?

"A pebble for your thoughts," Liang quips, casting a sympathetic glance toward the tuft of grass.

"Ha, ha," she says wearily. "How about you go away before I kick_ you_?"

Liang draws back ever so slightly, but he still keeps up with Mei Ying. "Whoa. Little Miss Violent now, are we?"

She doesn't reply.

"Fine," Liang says stuffily. "I see how it is. Ignore me. Treat me like a cow. I can take it. I'm a man."

"It's just... What does he _mean_ by that?" Mei Ying blurts. "If he always has a good reason, then he shouldn't promise it won't happen again! Or... or if he can't promise it won't happen again, then he shouldn't have a good reason! Or should he? What... what am I saying? Oh... I'm just confusing myself."

"And doing a splendid job of it, too," Liang notes. "You've got to get a game plan, girl."

"Game plan?" she repeats, feeling the unfamiliar word roll in her tongue.

"Yes. Game plan. G-A-M-E P-L-A-N. Basically, we've got to find a way to convince you that Cheng's absolutely heels-over-head and head-over-heels in love with you. Oh—and we have to convince _Cheng_ that he's gotta stop bullying the American boy. Because, to be honest, I think that Tray is pretty cool."

"Dre, not Tray."

"Oh. Right."

Mei Ying slumps down. "I don't have any ideas, Liang," she says mournfully. "Personally, I think that Cheng _loathes_ me. I could get a boyfriend, kiss him in front of the whole school, and Cheng wouldn't care a bit."

Liang's eyes widen.

Mei Ying blinks. "What?"

"That's _it_. You're a genius, Mei Ying!" Liang jumps to his feet, snapping his fingers. "Okay. Sit next to me at lunch, okay? And follow my lead. Whatever happens, _you must follow me lead_. Kapish?"

"Ka-what?"

"Never mind. American thing. Just remember, Mei Ying—follow my lead."

"I think I've got it, Liang. You've only said it around three times by now."

Liang salutes her. "With that, my fair lady, I shall bid you farewell! ...For twenty minutes." And he strides out of the quad, hands in his pockets, whistling a cheery tune.

(-_-)

_Present time._

"Liang! Liang, are you alright?" Mei Ying dashes into the hospital room, tears pouring down her face. "You—are—so—stupid! What made you say such a thing?"

Liang coughs. "Hey. I'm not an old man. I'm a sprightly young fellow. I'll heal quickly." He closed his eyes. "Besides, it was worth it. Didn't you see that look of pure, untainted jealousy on his face?"

"Well, sorry if I didn't notice it," Mei Ying says frantically. "I was a little distracted by the_ gallons of blood on the floor_!"

Liang attempts to snort, but winces in pain. "You're exaggerating, woman. If I lost gallons of blood, I wouldn't be alive." He grins. "Besides, I know kung fu. Sure, I'm worse than Cheng, but I can defend myself." He lowers his voice. "Don't tell anyone this, but... other than a slight headache, I'm not actually hurt."

Mei Ying stares from the bandages around his head to the oxygen support beside him to the cast around his foot. "Sure you aren't."

"No! It's true!" Liang sits up. "I just hate school. Yunno, if you've got a chance to miss a day, you might as well take it!"

"Are you sure you're Asian?"

"I checked my family tree a few days ago when I was feeling insecure." Liang settle back down. "I just don't like school, yunno? My family—they want me to be a doctor, but I don't want to be a doctor at all." He shudders.

"I... I guess that's kind of like me," Mei Ying says. "I enjoy music, but I'm not quite sure I want to do it as a career."

"It's nice to see that you two are already relaying your deepest dreams and darkest secrets to each other."

Mei Ying whips around, fast as a lightning strike. Cheng is standing in the doorway, his arms crossed.

Liang grins cheekily. "Well. I hope you're here to apologize."

Cheng's eyes narrow. "As a matter of fact... yes."

Mei Ying doesn't miss the look of intense surprise that passes of Liang's face, and neither does Cheng. "What?"

"I'm here to apologize," Cheng repeats curtly. "But I'm here to gain an apology as well."

Liang rolls his eyes. "And thus, the hero shows his true colors," he says dramatically. "Fine. What do you want an apology for?"

"Lying," Cheng says. "You aren't really Mei Ying's boyfriend."

"Oh, really?" Liang turns to Mei Ying and puckers his lips. "Come on, Mei-Mei. Give your Liang a nice kiss."

Cheng's face instantly flashes red; he grabs the nearest pillow and bashes Liang's head with it. Liang, foreseeing the attack, swiftly catches the pillow and twists it, disarming Cheng.

"Naughty boy," he says. "You shouldn't envy other people's happiness."

Cheng's breath comes out in harsh gasps. "Liang!"

"You could've asked her out first," Liang points out. "If you really fancied her all that much, why didn't you just say so?"

Cheng's eyes turn to Mei Ying. His chocolate gaze makes her stomach turn over.

"I don't fancy her!" he says fiercely. "Liang, I don't fancy her! I lo—" But he catches himself in time and cuts off.

"Yes?" Liang prompts eagerly.

Cheng takes a deep breath. "I don't fancy her. I think that she's annoying. She's always flirting with different guys to try to make them fancy her, but it'll never work." His eyes, once warm, are now cold. "You hear that, _Mei-Mei_? You can flirt with every male on this planet, but they will _never_ fancy you back. So try all you want with that American boy. Try all you want with Liang. No matter what you do, you can never be together with them." He steps close. "Never."

Mei Ying feels tears shooting up to her eyes. _Flirting? Me? With different guys?_ "You are a jerk," she says through gritted teeth, "and I wish I never met you." She turns to Liang. "I'm going to go now. Tell me when you feel better."

Liang says nothing. Even he knows that the atmosphere is too tense for a quip.

Mei Ying makes her way toward the door, passing Cheng. He snatches her wrist.

"You'd better stay here," he hisses.

"What for? So that you can insult me again?" Mei Ying steels her gaze away from him. "I'm really disappointed in you, Cheng."

He releases her wrist. She feels his shock as she steps away.

"_Zai jian_," he whispers. _Goodbye._

Mei Ying would never know what he meant. Was he going to die? Was he not going to see her again? Was he going to keep away from her? Or was he saying goodbye to his hopes? His dreams? His desire for Mei Ying?

Cheng knew.

He was saying goodbye to his freedom. He would study to go to the same college as her; he would work more jobs just to stay in the same cities as her; he would use his time to make sure she wasn't hanging out with other boys.

_Zai jian, freedom. Zai jian._

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**(A/N: Oops. Little mistake there, Cheng? Just maybe. Hm.**

**Review please. If you remember. More reviews = more story. Less reviews = more story. Because a true writer will write regardless of feedback.**

**...But seriously, please review. Thanks.)**

_(Random note: Mei-Mei means 'little sister' in Chinese. So Liang used Mei-Mei as a nickname for Mei Ying, but he could also be referring to her as a little sister, which makes things a bit more weird in Cheng's opinion.)_


	4. Huan Ying

**_(A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Mighty-Ducks18! It wouldn't exist without her. Thanks for consistently reminding me to work on this chapter! :) Hope you like it! I also rearranged the first few chapters but nothing has been added.)_**

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**huan ying  
**_mandarin : welcome_

School is tense when Liang gets released from the hospital.

Cheng does not speak to Mei Ying nor Liang. In fact, he forbids the rest of his gang from even associating with Liang.

Mei Ying frets about this. "Isn't this too harsh?" she asks over lunch, sitting with Liang and the misfit Dre. "You guys were best friends..."

"_Are_," Liang corrects. "This happened once between Cheng and Xi Wang. Not as harsh, given, but they made up before the week was over."

Mei Ying stares in awe. "How did they make up?"

"Kung fu," Liang replies. "One match. Lots of injuries, but both boys made up. No words necessary." Liang leans back. "That's what's nice about guys. They're... Kind of simple. Unlike girls. Like, I talk with other girls besides you and I freeze up because they speak like an entirely different language."

"No, they don't," Mei Ying protests, wondering whether to be insulted or happy that Liang was comfortable around her.

"Yes, they do!" Liang protests back. "How am I supposed to know that 'hot' and 'cool' mean the same thing, or that boys are 'dudes' but girls don't like being called 'dudettes,' or that girls nickname every single boy in the school so they can talk about them without other people knowing? It's like attempting to communicate with Martians... but worse!"

Mei Ying is about to respond to Liang's antics, but a sharp heat in her neck stops her. "Cheng's looking this way," she whispers.

Dre, who has been completely as utterly confused throughout the entirety of this conversation, only asks, "What are you guys talking about?"

Mei Ying ignores him—a necessary action at the moment. "Do you think there will be danger?"

Liang grins. "Not with you around."

She's not sure what that means... but it's probably not anything she'd agree with.

(-_-)

Cheng misses Liang.

It's betrayal, betrayal to his own self, but he can't help it. Of all his motley crew, he's felt the closest to Liang. Liang knows him the best, and he knows Liang the best.

But Liang went too far.

Cheng clenches his jaw, seeing the laughing Mei Ying, Cheng, and Liang. The three people in the world he hates most... Or so he tells himself.

"Cheng."

Cheng's neck nearly snaps at the voice. It's... his mother's?

"M-Mother?" he blurts. "what are you doing here during school?"

"I'm here to pick you up," she said. "You have a doctor's appointment and then we're going to Mei Ying's house for dinner."

"M-Mei Ying's house?" _No._ Any house but_ that_ house. Even a _haunted house_ would be preferable at the moment.

"Don't use that tone with me, young man!" Cheng's mother says sharply. "I said it once and you have ears, so you must have heard it!"

"Y-yes, Mother. It's not that I didn't hear it..." Cheng trails off, searching for an excuse, any excuse, to keep him away from that house. "Kung Fu—"

"I told your teacher and he has no qualms," his mother says briskly.

"But—I think I have a test later today—"

"Your absence is excused. Just make it up tomorrow."

"But I—"

"Cheng! Get up you get before you cause any more embarrassment!"

He can do nothing. "...Yes, mother."

He prays his pride will remain intact for the next morning.

(-_-)

"You've got to be joking," Mei Ying squeaks, hands clasped tightly in her lap. "Dinner? With Cheng?"

Her father frowned. "Aren't you and Cheng best friends? It's not a problem, is it?"

_Um, letmethinkaboutityes_. "I... I guess not," Mei Ying says with obvious uncertainty.

"Then go ahead and get dressed," her mother says with a smile. "Get ready to knock Cheng dead!"

"M-Mom! It's nothing like that!"

"Oh, and bring your violin. They want to hear you play."

Mei Ying trudges up to her room, feeling utterly defeated. _Dinner with _Cheng_? Fate is so obviously against me._

But for some strange reason, she ends up putting a lot of effort into her appearance.

(-_-)

"_Huan ying_!"

"_Ni hao, ni hao_!"

Cheng tries to ignore the Mandarin greetings flying around his head and instead focuses on _staying out of Mei Ying's sight_. He had _tried_ to avoid this dinner—tried harder than he'd ever had to try in his _life_. Except maybe for karate.

"Hey, Cheng, where are your manners? Say hi!"

_No, thanks,_ Cheng is on the verge of saying, but sees the icy glare in his mother's eyes (although her thin lips are stretched into a tight smile) and decides against it.

He sees Mei Ying and keeps his gaze to the ground, waving a hand awkwardly in the air.

"Yo."

Mei Ying doesn't look at him either. "Hey."

"Cheng, what are you waiting for? Show Mei Ying around the house!" Cheng's mother all but barks.

"Oh—no, it's alright, Ma'am, I've already seen your house before—_too_ many times before, actually—"

"What? Mom, I can't! I, uh, didn't clean my room! No, I mean, it's presentable, but it's—I mean—"

"Take. Mei Ying. Around. The house." Her pale face is menacing. "Please," she adds as an afterthought.

Cheng's shoulders slump and he gently takes Mei Ying's arm. "Let's go."

"Huh? Wait—"

He drags her down a hallway and into his room, slamming the door. Then he whirls on Mei Ying, attempting to force a pleading expression on his face. "Please, Mei Ying. Just go with me this one time. My mom is... she's _scary_."

"Well, I know, but then my parents are gonna assume—"

"I know, I—"

"That's why they had me dress up like—"

It's only then when he notices just how _beautiful_ she looks. It's almost unnerving. He kind of wishes she were just back in her school uniform. She seems more _approachable_ in uniform. "Uh, yeah, and you like nice—"

"Was a pain, though, took an hour to get my hair right—"

"You think an hour's bad? My mom wasn't satisfied with my room until you guys practically walked into our house!"

"Oh, _that's_ why she glared at you when you said you didn't clean your room!"

"Yeah." Cheng glances down at his feet. _Apologize. Apologize now. _

Had he been at school, he would have never apologized. He would have stayed with his friends, sending longing glances at her but never, ever apologizing. He would have glared at Liang and Dre. He would have probably done something that would make Mei Ying hate him even more.

But perhaps because he is in the safety of his own room—perhaps because Mei Ying is smiling at him for a change—perhaps because he misses Liang—perhaps because he is sorry that he insulted Mei Ying like that—

"I'm sorry."

Mei Ying's head shoots up. Her eyes are wide.

"Huh?" is all she says.

"I'm sorry," he repeats. "I'm sorry for saying you always flirt with a bunch of different guys. It's not true."

"O-oh." Mei Ying shuffles her bare feet and takes a keen interest in the wall.

"I'm sorry for hitting Liang. Well, okay, not really..." _Is this a sense of humor? Since when have I developed _that_?_ "He shouldn't have done something like that when he knew I—"

Mei Ying takes her gaze from the wall and looks straight into his eyes.

Had he been at the school, he might have confessed to her. But suddenly he remembers that, up until a few minutes ago, they hadn't even been on speaking terms—that Mei Ying is going out with Liang—that _Dre_ probably knows Mei Ying better than he does—

"Nothing."

"Oh." He swears he can hear disappointment in her voice, but quickly tells himself it's just his imagination. "So... friends?"

He nods curtly and sees she has stretched out a hand. He gently takes it, attempting to ignore the sparks that shoot up his arm and warm his face. For a moment they stand there, hands joined, forgetting to actually shake them, staring into each others' eyes. Then Cheng lets go of Mei Ying and Mei Ying lets go of Cheng and they shuffle and cough and study the patterns on the carpeted floor.

"I'm... I'm glad we got that over with," Mei Ying whispers.

"Yeah. Uh, me too." Cheng suddenly feels awkward. Then he remembers something: he hasn't properly greeted Mei Ying as a host. "I think I was supposed to greet you."

"I think you were supposed to greet me too," Mei Ying says, her face lit up with another smile.

A shadow of joy crosses Cheng's own face as he bows extravagantly low. "_Huan ying_."

She giggles and bows back.

"_Ni hao_."

* * *

_**(A/N: So? Extra long chapter as an apology for the wait... can you forgive me? Also, even though I'm Chinese, I actually don't know much about Chinese customs and what they do when they go to each others' houses. So I kinda made it up... It's modern times anyway. Right?**_

_**Also Cheng may seem OOC (bordering on a Liang sort of personality) but keep in mind that he would be much more comfortable in his own house than at school, where he can be watched by his peers and friends.)**_


End file.
